Earl and I strive on photojournalism in our work and try our best to capture those real candid moments you all love so much. However, there is a time and a place for formal photos in a wedding day and we have plenty of wedding photo group ideas for you and your crew. So the answer is YES we do photograph formal group photos and they are all awesome!

I refer to family formals or wedding party group photos as the necessary evil of the day because, honestly, it’s like herding cats to get adults of all ages to stand still and look at the camera. Yet, I always find the appeal and desire for those classic portraits of family and friends. Even with my own family at gatherings of important events, I haul everyone outside for the group shot of the year. So yes, having wedding group photo ideas of what you want from your wedding day are important and here are some great examples and tips.

Tip 1:
Have a list! Nothing like organized chaos in a day full of happy and crazy emotions! Here is a whole guide to create a family photo list for the wedding day.

Tip 2: If you are having a large wedding party or big family groups, know the type of feel you want for your group photos. Playful, classic, or editorial style? Maybe a mixture of both.

Tip 3: Always have enough time in your timeline for these photos. As I mentioned, this is a necessary evil but is super important! So if it matters, which it does, dont rush it! Talk to your photographer and planner to make sure you have time. More tips for the wedding day timeline planning hop over here.

Lastly, there is always opportunity to capture emotions and authenticity during family and group photos as well, so embrace the chaos and enjoy the moment of it all.

Some great visuals and wedding photo group ideas:

Here is an example of the differences between a classic group portrait and an editorial style portrait. The editorial photo takes longer to setup and construct so keep that in mind when you are deciding the look and feel that you want out of your group photos. Plan accordingly!

More wedding photo group ideas that have an editorial look:

For wedding photo group ideas with a more classic feel:

And a few wedding photo group ideas that are more playful in style:

Just remember that if you want formal portraits for your wedding party and/or family, plan for enough time to set them up, have a good list to keep the order and chaos to a minimum, and a good attitude about it because they will turn out great.